The Role of Muslims in the 21st Century

The basic foundation of this book was laid when I addressed a lecture to the Assistant Collectors of Customs (Probationers) in Karachi in March 2001. I had in my mind certain ideas of how Muslims should be and how their image in the world would improve. What they should do and not do. I wanted to tell them and all our fellow Muslims that if we ever wanted to be respected and be amongst the best nations in the world then it was necessary to do all those things which were coming to my mind. So I jotted these points on a piece of paper and decided to present them before a group of young officers joining the Customs Department and beginning their career. Later on, the attack on the World Trade Centre on 11th September, 2001 took place and I expanded the Chapter “Love for Children” further wherein I had already written that a Muslim should be known never to attack a woman or a child even though they belonged to his enemy. Thereafter I further elaborated this subject by explaining that Islam does not allow any retaliation towards innocent people, women or children.

I also had a chance to perform the fourth Umra of my life in the month of December 2001 and had a unique insight of how universal love is developed among Muslims at such gatherings. I also had the occasion of re-visiting some historic sites of Mecca and Medina. This time God fulfilled my great wish to climb and see the cave of “Saur” in Mecca which is about 3200 feet above the sea-level and 1200 feet above Mecca in which the HolyProphet Muhammad (May peace be upon him)took shelter alongwith Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique (RaziAllah-o-Tala Unhu) when the infidels of Mecca were planning to kill him. These were experiences of a life-time which I have tried to express and added the heading “The Significance of Haj and Umra”.

This book is primarily addressed to Muslims and assumes that the reader has the basic knowledge of Islam but the non­Muslim readers will also find its reading interesting. The translations of the Holy Quran are mostly of Marmaduke Pickthall who was a Christian Arabic scholar, and had converted to Islam. He has rendered an English translation of the Quran which is considered as one of the best English I

. translations ever written. At some places translations have been taken from Abdullah Yuusuf Ali along with explanatory notes. t Malik’s translation has also been taken. Some pictures of historic sites have also been added wherever space permitted.